Home is Where the Heart Is
by Laura1
Summary: The gang go back to Sunnydale for a special occasion. Third in a series.


_Background_ ~ If you haven't read the first two in the series ('Evolution' and 'The Story Goes On') or you just have a really bad memory, here's what's happened so far. Buffy turned 25 and found out she had been relieved of her sacred duty and replaced by a new slayer. She moved to LA to start a new life. Angel helped some gypsies and they anchored his soul. He and Buffy got back together. Faith is out of prison and working for Angel. She and Gunn are a couple and she is pregnant. Cordelia is married to a successful Hollywood scriptwriter named John. Xander has twin sons and a girlfriend named Natasha. Giles is married to a much younger woman. Willow and Oz are both dead and their souls reunited on the ethereal plane. Wesley is still Wesley. And if I've forgotten anything vital then sorry!

_Disclaimer_ ~ I'll say it very slowly and clearly for the benefit of the lawyers (who we all know are a bit dim – no offence!) – **I don't own any of them**. Satisfied?

'Sunnydale, 2 miles' the familiar sign leapt out at Buffy. She couldn't believe it had been nearly a year since she had been to the town she had called her home for so long. She was glad to be going back, but also nervous. It was strange, how quickly things changed, she no longer felt as though she belonged in Sunnydale anymore. Everything looked the same and yet it was unfamiliar. Even stranger was the reason she was making the return visit. Xander was getting married. A part of her still couldn't quite believe it. Marriage was such an adult, responsible thing to do. Something she couldn't quite reconcile with the Xander she remembered making schoolboy jokes about Principal Snyder or living in his parents' basement. 

She knew Xander had changed. That he now was mature and responsible. He had twin sons and a respectable job. He had been with the same woman, Natasha, for three years and so it was only natural that they would take the next step and get married. It didn't stop Buffy being amazed by it all, though. She felt something she'd been feeling a lot recently – old. She looked over at Angel in the driving seat next to her and smiled. If she felt old at 25 (_26 in a couple of days_, she thought involuntarily) then how must Angel be feeling when he was…She squeezed her eyes closed trying to do the mental arithmetic. Did he count his age going from the year he was born or from the year he was turned? She gave up trying to work it out; it was all far too complicated. 

She turned her mind to more trivial matters twisting around in her seat to check if Cordelia and her husband John were still following close behind. They were. Buffy gave a small wave in their direction, which Cordelia returned lazily. John was too busy concentrating on the road and not losing sight of Angel's black convertible. He had never been to Sunnydale before, so was unsure of the route. He was looking forward to going there, though, both for the opportunity to learn more about Cordy's life and friends before she met him and the chance to experience the feeling of being above a genuine Hellmouth. Buffy had laughed at him for this. She pointed out that it was only demons that could feel the supernatural vibrations given out by the Hellmouth and that the vast majority of Sunnydale's population had no idea of the goings on beneath their feet. John had looked disappointed at this, but it had barely served to dampen his enthusiasm about the whole trip.

Buffy had to admit to herself that she too was excited. She hadn't seen Xander or Giles for ages and it would be nice to meet Natasha again. She was also looking forward to going to the wedding. She had only been to one such occasion before and that was when Giles got married, but because of his age and the unconventionality of the match (his new wife was much younger than him) it was a very small affair. Xander and Natasha's big day promised to be a lot more elaborate and Buffy had enjoyed several Cordelia-chaperoned shopping trips in order to find the perfect outfit for the event. 

She had been surprised when the invitation had come through the mail two months earlier and mildly annoyed that it specified 'Buffy Summers and Guest'. She thought that after all these years Xander would have been able to put aside his dislike of Angel and actually put the vampire's name on the invitation. After all if Xander knew where she was living now then he must have known about her and Angel's involvement. Buffy smiled to herself. She often felt her thoughts were on a cycle. No matter what topic she started off thinking about her mind always led her back to Angel. _Not that it was a bad place to be_, she mused, quietly admiring his strong profile as he drove. 

Angel had been reluctant to come at first. He had reasoned that Xander didn't want him there, the two of them had never got along very well, so he didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble. It was Xander's wedding day, he had argued, so Xander should be allowed to decide who should be in attendance. Besides, Angel had pointed out, it was a daylight ceremony so he wouldn't be able to go to that either. And somebody needed to stay behind and look after the business. Faith was in her eighth month of pregnancy, so couldn't work and Gunn was preoccupied with looking after her. But Buffy had remained steadfast. She was not going unless he came with her. They were a couple now and that meant doing things like this together and if Xander had a problem with it then that was his problem. Angel could still attend the reception and the pre-wedding party that they were headed to this evening and Wesley was staying behind in LA to look after things. Eventually she had worn Angel down and he had agreed to come.

She felt the car slow to a stop and realised that they had reached their destination, Sunnydale's only respectable motel, where they would be staying and where Xander and Natasha were holding tonight's party. She reached over and squeezed Angel's knee, knowing he was not looking forward to this evening and wanting to reassure him. He turned and regarded her with those soulful eyes of his that she felt could see straight into her heart. She blushed under his scrutiny. 

"Time to go in." She leant towards him and spoke in a whisper.

He shifted his position as she had, closing the small gap between them and then lowering his lips to hers. "Just another minute." He murmured in an equally low voice and kissed her.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Cordelia had mixed feelings about returning to Sunnydale. The town reminded her of a part of her life she'd rather forget. It wasn't that she didn't have happy times there; she had lots. None of them involving Hellmouth-related activity she recalled bitterly, but certainly she had enjoyed herself in Sunnydale. Nevertheless, she still felt that her life hadn't begun properly until she moved to LA. This is when she had realised who she really was, had finally been able to set aside the act she had putting on to impress and just be herself. The whole of her life in Sunnydale now felt just like one big lie. 

For a start she had been rich, which according to the IRS her family certainly wasn't supposed to be. So, that had been a lie. Then there were the airs and graces she had put on in order to hang with the popular crowd. In fact she had hated all those people whose friendship had seemed so important at the time. They were just shallow and empty-headed. Not that Cordelia wasn't shallow, she could do shallow with the best of them, it was just occasionally she wanted to talk about something other than shoes. And she had lived in fear of losing her popularity, which she now realised was not even worth having in the first place, so she couldn't even spend time with the few people whose friendship she really wanted – Buffy and her gang. She had felt compelled to insult and berate them when all she had ever wanted was to be a part of their group.

Cordelia remembered all this sadly, which surprised even herself. It was not like her to dwell on the less positive aspects of life. Too many years of dealing with evil and death had taught her to look on the bright side of things; the alternative was simply to sink into a deep pit of despair. And bitter experience had taught Cordy to avoid pits of every shape and form. She looked around the streets of Sunnydale trying to dredge up happy memories. They passed the country club where she had been crowned queen of their Spring Ball. There was the Bronze (or what used to be the Bronze anyway, it was now a trendy coffee house, which Cordelia resolved she must visit during their trip), she been to lots of parties there. Then there on the corner was the movie theatre where she and Xander had spent countless hours in the back row, not watching the movie.

She smiled fondly. Xander. It would be good to see him again. If only to find out if he was still as much of an ass as he was in high school. And she was also insanely curious about the woman he was marrying. Not that she was at all jealous. After all she was married to an incredibly gorgeous, talented, not to mention rich, Hollywood scriptwriter, remember? She just attributed this terrific interest in Xander's future wife down to her natural nosiness. Plus, there was the fact that she needed some gossip to report back to Faith and Wesley.

They pulled into the car park of the motel and parked alongside Angel's car. Cordelia leapt out of the sixth month old Mercedes her husband was currently driving, eager to go inside to the party. She rolled her eyes. Buffy and Angel were sucking face in the front seat of his convertible.

"Don't you two ever come up for air?" She moaned.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Xander surveyed the guests at the party. They all seemed to be having a good time he was pleased to note. _But, hey, I always throw the best parties_, Xander thought to himself, then struggled to remember a single occasion when he had played the host. But all that was about to change, he knew. He still couldn't believe he was getting married. Marriage was something old people did. He wasn't old, was he? His life resembled that of an adult – kids, house, car, responsible job, soon to be wife currently trying to keep his parents away from the bar – but he still didn't feel all that grown up. He supposed he never really would. Nobody ever did. They just pretended they did. Started discussing politics and actually reading the whole newspaper not just looking at the cartoons and the sports section then began dressing in cardigans and nice comfortable slippers (Xander was determined he wouldn't let things get that far, even Giles hadn't sunk that low). 

But however immature Xander felt he knew one thing. He loved Natasha with all of his heart and that was why he was determined to marry her, no matter how terrifying the prospect was. He watched his fiancée cross the room towards him and grinned broadly at the sight. She was so beautiful. She had shoulder length, curly auburn hair and bright green eyes that sparkled with good humour. She was petite and slender and moved with a dancer's grace and poise. Xander didn't know why she loved him back and was afraid to even ask for fear of spoiling things. 

He woke up every morning feeling privileged just to be in her presence. Then one weekend she went to visit her parents. Xander woke up to find the other side of the bed empty and panic overtook him. He knew right at that moment that he didn't want to spend another night of his life without her and the single second she had got back he had asked her to marry him. She had accepted immediately and it was only at the engagement party the realisation of what he had done hit Xander. He had had to sit down abruptly during the speech his future father-in-law was giving to congratulate them both. 

The next few months had been a whirlwind of guest lists and invitations and dress fittings and function-bookings and present buying and rehearsal dinners. They had decided to have the wedding in Sunnydale for the benefit of Xander's parents. Relationships in that sector were still a little fraught and they felt the gesture might bring the family closer together. There had been so much planning to do that Xander had barely had a chance to think twice about his proposal again. In some ways he was glad of it. He worried that if he thought too long about what he was doing his petty fears might get the better of him and he'd do something incredibly stupid. Xander lived in fear of his own stupidity messing up his relationship with Natasha. After all, it had happened before. 

As if on cue, Cordelia walked through the door, hanging graciously off the arm of her far too picture perfect husband. She was still as stunningly beautiful as she had ever been, Xander registered. He suddenly realised how much he regretted losing contact with Cordelia over the years. She may have been shallow and annoying but she was always entertaining and he had missed their regular trading of insults. He felt the warm, soft presence of Natasha at his elbow and turned to kiss the top of her forehead. However much he wished things had worked out differently with Cordy, that at least they had remained friends, life still carried on. People changed and feelings changed. And more often than not, things turned out for the better.

Buffy and Angel followed in behind Cordelia and John. They were holding hands affectionately. _Speaking of things turning out for the better_, Xander thought. He had known Buffy would bring Deadboy. In fact, he had to admit to himself, he was almost glad that she had. He had missed Angel's name off the invitation in a fit of adolescent pettiness. He since regretted the decision, realising that he had been trying to resurrect a past resentment that he no longer felt. His previous ill will towards Angel had stemmed from his jealousy over Angel's relationship with Buffy. He no longer had any romantic feelings towards Buffy, thus there was no reason for him to continue his dislike of Angel. Similarly, he had nothing more to fear from Angelus, because Angel's soul was now bound. And if Buffy, whom Angel had hurt the most during his soulless period, could forgive him then so should Xander be able to.

Now this was all very well in theory, but when presented with the vampire in the flesh (or as close to flesh as a 250 year old mythical being could get), Xander had to use all his self-control not fall back into old habits and sneer at Angel, completing the welcome with some condescending remark. Instead he greeted Cordelia and John politely, then went over to kiss Buffy on the cheek and shake Angel's hand.

"Good to see you again." Xander addressed the vampire, struggling to make the sentiment sound genuine.

"Likewise." Angel replied, his usual deadpan delivery masking whatever feeling might be behind the words. 

"Everybody, this is my fiancée, Natasha." Xander made the introductions.

Buffy, who had met Natasha before, was first to step forward. She hugged the other woman. "It's great to see you again." She said.

"You must be Angel." Natasha turned to him. They shook hands. "Wow, cold hands!" Natasha exclaimed.

Angel looked embarrassed. "I have a circulation problem." He tried to explain.

"Yeah, in that you have none." Xander quipped, winning himself several vicious glares. "It's OK." Xander clarified. "Tasha knows. I had to tell her about all this stuff, before she agreed to have our wedding here. Just so if our reception is crashed by a bunch of Hellhounds, she appreciates why." He made an oblique reference to the chaos that nearly befell their senior prom in high school.

"If me being here is a problem for you I can leave." Angel addressed Natasha. "I know some people - well most people, actually - aren't comfortable with what I am." He added awkwardly.

"No you can stay." Natasha reassured him hurriedly. "I don't mind. I guess I'm just going to have to get used to these things." She turned to Buffy. "Xander told me about you being the slayer as well." She paused. "Just as long as you don't do anything…supernatural…in front of the guests, then I'm OK with it." She looked nervous.

Buffy smiled at her. "We'll behave, we promise."

Natasha turned her attention to the other couple that had just arrived. "And I'm guessing you're Cordelia." She received a nod of acquisition from the brunette. "You're exactly as Xander described you." She drew Cordelia into a hug.

"Congratulations." Cordelia said, quietly enough for only the other woman to hear. "Xander's a great guy. You'll be very happy together."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Angel wrapped his arms around Buffy's slender waist, wanting to keep her close to him for support and reassurance. He had become much better at dealing with social situations since Cordelia had insisted on dragging him along to so many, but being expected to socialise with a room full of strangers still made him nervous. For nearly 150 years humans had just existed for his sustenance and to play roles in his twisted little mind games. Then when he got his soul back he couldn't even look at a human without seeing in their face echoes of his previous victims, so he had avoided all contact with people and come to resent them for all the love and joy in their lives that he could never have.

Meeting Buffy had changed his perspective entirely. She was the first human he had met in over 200 years that spoke to his soul not the demon inside him. When he looked at her he saw her heart, not just the blood that pumped through it. Now he had many more friends, none of whom he could ever dream of regarding as a prospective meal, but sadly the same was not always true for strangers. Angel may have vowed never to bite a single person ever again, but his demonic side still screamed at him to do so. And what people didn't understand was that his vampire's senses made him aware of every heartbeat. And when he stood in a crowded room he could feel the pounding of each person present's pulse. The scent of blood was overpowering, as was the desire to remove himself from the temptation as quickly and completely as possible. 

But Angel understood that if he wanted to lead a life in anyway resembling that of a human's - in other words, if he wanted love and friendship and all those other little things that connected him with humanity – then he would have to learn to deal with situations like this. Each one he coped through made him stronger and gave him more power to resist his own demonic urges. However, knowing all this didn't make the party any easier for him to deal with and neither did it make the experience any less unpleasant. So, he clung tightly to Buffy, her mere presence being enough to lift the weight of at least some of the guilt and darkness pressing down on his soul.

He had already got over one hurdle of the evening – meeting with Xander again after so many years. Angel was grateful for the younger man's graciousness, he had been expecting hostility and awkwardness. However, Xander had surprised him. The former class clown had matured substantially. Xander might have still disliked Angel but at least he had grown enough as a person to keep this feeling to himself, instead of making it blinding obvious. Angel was determined to make an effort to keep things civil between them. He grudgingly acknowledged that the previous animosity between him and Xander had not all been on the younger man's side. Angel was as much to blame for their poor relationship as Xander was. 

Angel was over two centuries old; he should have been mature enough to be able to deal with an adolescent boy's jealousy and insecurity. Instead he had let Xander's constant berating of both him and his and Buffy's relationship get to him. The truth was that Xander had made Angel feel inadequate. Xander's harsh words had voiced Angel's own private fears. He was a vampire, there was no way he was good enough for Buffy. She deserved much better than a cruel and evil monster like him. Instead of dealing with those fears, however, he had blamed Xander for highlighting them. He had thrown his closeness with Buffy in Xander's face, knowing the boy had a crush on the slayer. Then he had made things worse by sinking to Xander's level and trading petty insults with him. _This time would be different, though_, Angel vowed. He was determined to make his amends with Xander, for Buffy's sake, if nothing else.

"…we're very proud of course. Xander is such a lovely young man. Him and Natasha make a lovely couple, don't you think?" 

Angel tuned back into his surroundings and realised that Natasha's mother was expecting a reply to her question. He reluctantly opened his mouth to speak, not having a clue what would come out of it, but fortunately Buffy had got there first and to his relief was already answering the other woman.

"Oh, yes. I'm sure they'll be very happy together." Buffy said politely and Angel marvelled at her patience. He had stopped paying attention to the conversation ten minutes ago, but then he never had been one for small talk. 

"May I ask, how do you two know Xander?" 

Angel caught a calculating edge to the woman's voice and began to take more of an interest.

"Oh, we went to high school together." Buffy answered for herself, deliberately omitting any mention of Angel.

"So, did you and he used to date?"

Angel raised his eyebrows and tried not to look amused. _So, that's what she's up to_, he thought. The woman was seeking out any possible competition for her daughter in Xander's affections. Though why she couldn't just go up to all the female guests and ask them 'Do you have designs on my future son-in-law?' he didn't know.

"Me and Xander? Hardly." Buffy sounded incredulous, then realised she had overdone the effect as a frown crossed the older woman's face. "You see, I was already dating Angel then." She tried to explain.

"Oh, so you're childhood sweethearts!" Came the enthusiastic reply. "That is so cute!" She called across the room. "Bill, honey, come meet Buffy and Angel. They've been together since high school!"

Angel tightened his grip on Buffy's waist and rested his chin on the top of her head. _Only two more hours to go then we can be out of here_, he thought steadfastly.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Oh my God! Giles!" Cordelia's shriek attracted the attention of nearly all the guests on her side of the room. She enveloped the former watcher in an enthusiastic hug. "I thought you were dead, or something."

"It's nice to see you again too, Cordelia." Giles muttered, extraditing himself from her embrace.

"This is my husband, John Carmichael. He's a Hollywood scriptwriter." She announced proudly. "You might have seen some of his films."

"I don't really go to the movies much." Giles tried to be diplomatic, as he never heard of the man before. 

"Oh, I forgot." Cordy replied dismissively. "You're old and boring." She turned to her husband. "John, this is Giles. He used to be Buffy's watcher."

The two men shook hands. "I thought Wesley was Buffy's watcher." John asked.

"Oh, he was. Wesley was appointed after they fired Giles." Cordelia responded. "I'm sure I told you that story."

"Well, John doesn't want to hear it again, I'm sure." Giles interjected quickly, getting sacked from the council had not been his finest moment and he didn't want to get into a big discussion about it now. "So, how have you been Cordelia?"

"Great! I'm still working for Angel. I kind of have to, you know, what with the skull splitting visions I still get." She grimaced. "I mean, if I'm going to be in excruciating pain on at least a weekly basis, then I may as well get paid for it, right? Not that we need the money." She added quickly. "Especially not the pittance Angel pays. Hey! Have you caught up with him and Buffy yet?"

"Yes," Giles nodded. "They're quite the couple, aren't they?"

"You can say that again." Natasha spoke, as she and Xander joined the conversation. "They're like wild cats."

"Yeah, I can see that, honey, what with all their fur and stuff." Xander joked.

Natasha rolled her eyes at him. "No, what I mean is, they're so gentle and relaxed with each other." The group all turned to study Angel and Buffy across the room. Angel reached over to straighten Buffy's hair and she batted his hand away playfully. He assumed a mock hurt expression and she laughed, leaning up to kiss him lightly. "But, behind the seemingly innocent exterior, they're both dangerous. They're predators. It just reminds me of seeing the lions at the zoo. They just look like big cuddly cats but do anything to endanger their mate, then they'll tear you to pieces."

There was silence as the group processed the truth behind her words. 

"You'll have to excuse my darling fiancée." Xander laughed awkwardly. "She has some funny ideas sometimes. She's a writer."

John's ears pricked up at this. "Really? What kind of writing do you do?" He asked Natasha.

"Children's books." She blushed. "I haven't had anything published. It's just a hobby of mine."

With that John and Natasha began discussing the ins and outs of getting a novel published and the others soon lost interest.

"She's right you know." Cordelia commented. "About Buffy and Angel. It's like they're mated for life, or something." She shivered. "Freaky."

"Yes, it is rather incredible." Giles agreed. "When were together when Buffy was in high school, I just thought it would be a short-lived thing. Some exciting forbidden love affair. Just another of Buffy's ways of rebelling against convention and authority. But, I think they've proved their feelings run a bit deeper than that."

"They're really in it for the long haul." Cordelia confirmed.

"Except the haul is going to be considerably longer for Angel than for Buffy." Xander had to point out the negative side as usual.

"Hmm, yes." Giles thought about this. "How do you think Angel's going to cope when she's gone?"

"He won't." Cordelia said with frightening certainty. Giles and Xander looked at her questioningly. "Do you really think he'll last one day without her?" She clarified. "He kill himself as soon as she dies. After all, it isn't all too difficult for a vampire to achieve. He just needs the sun." She smiled sadly. "There's no such thing as a happy ending, is there?"

Xander took her hand and returned the smile. "At least we still get to have happy middles."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After the party Buffy and Angel decided to take a walk around the town. As they lived out most of their existence at night, it was still early to them and there was plenty of time for a trip down memory lane before bed. They strolled hand in hand through the deserted streets, mostly in silence, concentrating on their own private recollections. But here and there Buffy would smile then stop and recount a particular story that a certain place reminded her of. Some of these tales Angel remembered well enough, others he had heard Buffy speak about from college and later. Some were entirely new to him – a painful reminder of the seven years they had been apart from one another. 

When they reached the high school, which had long since been rebuilt after Buffy blew it up, she just stopped and stared. All the memories came flooding back. Feeling lost and lonely when she first arrived there. Meeting Willow and Xander and making two of the best friends she could ever hope to have. Falling in love with Angel. Dying at the master's hand. Partying at the Bronze. Fight, after fight, after fight. Angel giving her the Claddagh ring. Their fated night together. Angelus. Ms Calendar. Kendra's death. Sending Angel to Hell. Running away. The Christmas Angel tried to kill himself. Giles' betrayal of her on her eighteenth birthday. Faith turning evil. Graduation. The Mayor's ascension. Angel leaving. 

Her mind began to spin and her thoughts became darker and darker. Oz leaving Sunnydale. Maggie Walsh of the Initiative trying to kill her. Faith awakening from her coma. Fighting Adam. Her mother getting sick. Riley's betrayal of her. Glory. Her mother's funeral. Anya being turned back into a demon. Xander running out of town. The years of loneliness, of slaying alone, without the support of friends or lovers. Hearing of Willow's death. Then later of Oz's. 

She broke down and began to cry, as suddenly the assault of memories on her conscious was too much to bear. Angel took her into his arms and she sobbed quietly against his chest. Her tears having a cathartic effect as she finally let go of the past. In moving to LA she had been running away from her history, now she was facing it and acknowledging that it couldn't hurt her anymore. She had a new life now and a new future. Glad as she was to be leaving the bad memories behind it saddened her to also be leaving the happy ones. And it was those she cried for now. She wept for the laughter she had shared with her friends, for the love and loyalty she had found in them and for the good times they had had together that could now never be repeated. Finally, her tears dried and she smiled up at Angel. 

"How about a walk in the cemetery?" Buffy suggested. "For old times sake."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

She ran and ran. Feet pounding on the concrete path, every footfall jarring her body, her lungs burning. She was exhausted and felt on the point of collapse. Her head spun and blood from a cut to her temple dripped into her eyes and threatened to obscure her vision. She wanted more than anything to stop and rest but she knew if she stopped now then she would never run another step ever again. 

There had been five or six of them, all armed with weapons other than their fangs. Too many to fight alone, so she had chosen the only other possible option. To run. But they had given chase. They seemed to find it amusing. The proverbial pursuit of their prey. She supposed the hunt just made the kill even sweeter. To stop now meant death, so she kept on running. 

She led them towards the cemetery. This was familiar ground to her and it was likely to be deserted at this time of night, so it reduced the risk of any bystanders getting involved. She was just thinking this when she saw a couple in the near distance. They were leaning against a gravestone, kissing. She groaned internally, she had led the vampires straight to them. Her watcher would kill her, she thought before remembering. Tears pricked her eyes and she found new reserves of strength. She was not going to let them murder anyone else. She pondered her options. The couple had noticed her now – _let's face it its hard to miss a teenage girl hotfooting it through a graveyard at one o'clock in the morning_, she thought. She would just have to run past them and hope that the vampires kept following her and did not try to move on to some easier prey.

She glanced back over her shoulder to see how far ahead of her pursuers she was. The sight worried her; they were only about 20 yards behind her now. Suddenly her foot hit a bump in the paving that she had been too busy looking behind to see. She felt herself flying through the air then landing with a jolt on the hard ground. The rough concrete grazed her cheek and she struggled to force air back into her lungs, as the impact of the fall had taken most of her breath away. The earth reverberated with the sound of approaching footfalls and she lay still, waiting for the vampire attack that would surely kill her. But it never came.

She twisted around to see what was happening. The couple she had seen earlier had now separated and were facing off against the group of vampires, their bodies identically tensed in a defensive stance. Their faces were both completely calm, neither showed a hint of fear and she noticed something very familiar about the woman. The thing that surprised her most, however, was the vampires' reaction to the couple's show of defiance. The gang of vamps had stopped in their tracks and were beginning to retreat. Even though they out numbered their opponents two-to-one (and that was including herself in the equation, the young slayer registered) it was they who were afraid of engaging in battle. 

"Leave now and we'll let you." The woman commanded in an eerily calm voice. "Cause us or the girl anymore trouble and you're all dust." 

The vampires didn't need telling twice. They ran off in the direction they had come, glad to be escaping with their unlives intact. 

The woman rushed over, helping the slayer to her feet. "Are you alright?" The woman asked.

She nodded and was just about to thank her rescuers when she noticed something strange about the man, who had not spoken yet. An aura of power radiated from him and he had the most intense eyes. She knew instantly that he was the vampire. Fear overtook her again and she shook the woman's hand off her arm then proceeded to run for her life for the second time that evening.

"Cassandra! Wait!" The woman called after her and she wondered how the stranger had known her name. The only explanation she could think of was that the couple were after her themselves. She tried to increase her pace but exhaustion and pain from her earlier fall, meant she could not run all that fast. The woman soon caught up with her and grabbed hold of her arm. Her grip was strong and effectively stopped Cassandra in her tracks.

"It's OK, we want to help you." The woman insisted. "Don't you remember me? I'm Buffy. I used to be the slayer here."

Cassandra gazed into the woman's eyes, which looked slightly red-rimmed, she noticed irrelevantly, and realised why she looked so familiar. She was the former slayer, they had met before when Cassandra had first been called to Sunnydale and Buffy had wanted to help show her the ropes. Cassandra had flatly refused her offer and regretted it now, as judging from the vampires' reactions this evening Buffy was obviously very good at her job. _That doesn't change the fact she was kissing a vampire, though_, Cassandra reminded herself. 

"I remember you." She said with hostility. "Now please let me go."

Buffy released the girl's arm. "What was all that about? Why were so many of them after you?" She asked.

"Why should I tell you anything?" Cassandra answered impetuously.

Buffy sighed, she recognised the same attitude from her youth. "Because we can help you."

"Who, you and the _vampire_?" Came the sarcastic reply.

"Angel's on our side." Buffy said gently. "He may be a vampire but he has a soul. Please don't be afraid, he won't hurt you."

Cassandra eyed the couple suspiciously. Buffy was the former slayer, she reasoned, and they had just saved her life. Plus, she needed all the help she could get right now. "How do I know I can trust you?" She asked.

The vampire answered. "You don't." He said simply. "And we can't help you if you won't let us. Now you're free to go but we'll follow you home, make sure you get there safely. Tomorrow ask your watcher about us. He'll confirm everything we've told you is true."

"I can't." Tears sprung to the young slayer's eyes. "I can't ask my watcher, because he's dead. That same group of vampires killed him."

Buffy put a reassuring arm around Cassandra. Her first watcher had also been killed and she remembered all to well what a distressing experience was. "Tell us what happened." 

"There's a new Master in town." Cassandra gulped the information out between sobs. "He's trying to reopen the Hellmouth." 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The whole gang were gathered together in Giles' living room. Buffy felt strange, displaced. It was almost like old times, but not. For a start it was a different mixture of people, there were the obvious additions of John, Natasha and Cassandra, but it was also odd to see Cordelia and Angel at Giles' when she associated them both so much with LA. She also felt keenly the absence of certain friends, namely Willow and Oz, she also even missed Anya a little, she was amused to realise. There was one positive difference, however, Giles' new wife had provided snacks for the occasion, which the group had fallen upon like vultures. 

Buffy had arranged the meeting immediately upon hearing about the new Master in Sunnydale. It was clear that Cassandra could not cope with the threat alone, especially with her watcher dead, so it was time to mobilise the troops. She frowned at her use of the analogy, a legacy from her time with Riley she supposed. Cassandra had taken the day off school to be there, which initially Giles had been very opposed to, until he had been reminded that her time was being spent constructively preventing an apocalypse. Now the non-veterans of Hellmouth activity were nervously exchanging small talk, before the real discussion began.

"So, I'm finally getting an insight into how Xander misspent his youth." Natasha joked. "And there I was thinking he was just your average delinquent."

"Nothing average about growing up in Sunnydale." Cordelia answered only half in jest.

"I guess this going to be an action packed trip, after all." John tried not to sound too excited.

"Yeah, and here was I thinking that we could be in an out of here. No slayage involved. Should have known better, right?" Buffy sounded depressed.

"And I guess my bachelor party's pretty much cancelled now." Xander tried to lighten the mood. "I wonder if strippers give refunds?" Natasha just glared at him.

Giles stumbled into the room, struggling with the weight of several large books. He deposited them on the coffee table, eliciting a loud 'thump' and a large cloud of dust. He removed his glasses and started to clean them. "Now we should start. Cassandra…" Everyone turned to look at the young girl and she hugged her knees to her chest shyly. "What do you know about the new Master?"

"Not much." She replied in a small voice. "I brought my watcher's diary if that will help." She handed over a slim volume to Giles who took it gratefully. "I know the Master calls himself Zeus and that he's very powerful. He seems to have all the vampires in town working for him. They've started hunting in packs now and co-ordinating their efforts. It makes them much more difficult to fight." She stopped, feeling self-conscious as she realised all the people in the room were hanging on her every word.

Giles turned to Angel. "Have you heard of a vampire that goes by the name of Zeus?" He asked.

Angel shook his head. He was puzzled, as a master vampire himself he thought he would have known all the candidates for a new master in Sunnydale. To reach that level of power the vampire must be quite old, so the chances were Angel had met him sometime during his spell as Angelus. But the name Zeus held no significance for him, apart from its obvious association with Greek mythology. He voiced some of his thoughts out loud. "This vampire must have a pretty high opinion of himself to assume the title 'Zeus'." He remarked.

The rest of the room, less well informed of ancient myths and legends looked puzzled, so Giles elaborated. "Zeus was the most powerful of all the Greek Gods. He was their ruler and all of the other's were subordinate to him."

"So the guy's got an inflated ego." Xander said dismissively. "A quick poke in the heart with a stake by Buffy will soon take care of that."

"The religious connotations are also interesting." Giles mused. "This vampire obviously thinks himself to be above humans or in some way purer than them, perhaps because of his lack of a soul. He believes he should be worshipped."

"Maybe, maybe not." Angel countered. "Vampires tend to have a fascination with all types of religion. They fear God, so naming themselves after religious icons is their way of snubbing Him."

"Uh, you should know _Angel_." Cordelia pointed out.

"OK, guys can we stop with the name game and just concentrate on finding and killing this thing." Buffy interjected.

"An excellent plan, which I would like to give my full support to." Announced Xander.

"Right then Giles, work your magic with the dusty old books. Then we can take out this Zeus guy and I can get on with enjoying my few days away from work." Buffy concluded the matter.

Several hours and three more platefuls of snacks later, they were none the wiser as to the whereabouts of the new master or how to kill him. Giles had studied Cassandra's watcher's diary intently and they had tried mapping all the places where there had been vamp attacks in recent weeks, to see if they could spot a pattern suggestive of where the Master had his lair. But they had noticed nothing significant. They had gone through all of Giles' books and had not found a single reference to a vampire named Zeus. John and Natasha had become increasingly bored – demon hunting was obviously not as exciting as they had imagined it to be – and Cassandra was beginning to wish she had gone to school instead.

Cordelia threw down the book she had been trawling through. "I officially give up!" She announced. "It's like this guy doesn't exist."

Angel narrowed his eyes, as he considered Cordelia's remark. She often managed to hit on answer inadvertently. "You may be right there, Cordelia." He said thoughtfully.

Cassandra's anger flared. "You think I made this up! You calling me a liar?" 

"No." Angel tried to pacify her. "You're telling the truth, there's a new Master in town, it's just his name that bothers me. I should have heard of him. The key definitely lies in the name."

"I thought we were going to drop the psychoanalysis and concentrate on the much more practical plan of seeking and destroying." Xander quipped then mentally kicked himself. He was supposed to be giving Angel a break not a hard time. It was just easy to slip back into old habits, he reasoned.

"Well, as we're not having much success with that, why don't we give Angel's theory some mileage?" Buffy said coldly and Xander felt even worse about his remark.

"Right then, what do we know about Zeus?" Giles attempted to diffuse some of the tension in the room.

"He was the head honcho of the Greek Gods?" Cordelia suggested. 

"Yes, though I don't think the Greeks used that exact term." Giles replied. "What else?"

"He lived on top of Mount Olympus." Natasha put forward, trying to be helpful.

"That's it!" Cassandra cried. 

"Did I get it? Really?" Natasha sounded surprised.

The group all turned their attention to Cassandra who explained. "There's a new sports stadium on the edge of town. Called 'The Olympus'. I think it was built over the top of some caves. That must be where he has his lair. And I chased a vampire back there a couple of weeks ago. He was only a fledgling, so I didn't think it important at the time."

"So, the name _is_ significant. This guy's idea of a joke." Buffy remarked.

"Now we know where he is, we have to work out what to do next." Angel pointed out.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A plan decided upon, they set out at dusk. Cassandra had made the appropriate excuses to her parents, something about studying for a test all evening and Xander had reluctantly agreed to forego his intended bachelor party. John and Natasha stayed behind at Giles' as they were unaccustomed to battles. Cordelia and Xander were armed with crossbows and they would take out any vamps that managed to escape the lair. Giles brought the necessary supplies to stop the ritual that opened the Hellmouth. Angel carried an axe and wore a determined expression on his face. Both the slayers had their stakes. They piled into two cars to travel across town. Buffy and Cassandra riding with Angel, Cordelia and Xander travelling with Giles.

Cassandra picked up on Buffy's tense and nervous demeanour. She was bothered by this. Last night in the cemetery the older slayer had been so calm and relaxed. Everything Cassandra had heard about Buffy suggested that she was highly accomplished and experienced at slaying, so she must have fought in many battles like this one and probably some a lot worse. Why then did she seem to be so worried? When she had a chance to speak to Buffy alone, she asked her about it. Cassandra felt an instinctive bond with the other slayer and trusted her already, even if she was still a little unsure about Buffy's relationship with the vampire.

Buffy smiled sadly upon hearing Cassandra's question. She didn't want to unduly worry the young girl, but thought Cassandra still deserved the truth. "When I was about your age," she began to explain. "I had to fight the last Master of Sunnydale. He killed me."

Cassandra gasped, then looked confused. "But how…?"

"My heart just stopped for a while." Buffy elaborated. "Xander managed to restart it with CPR. It was still pretty frightening, though. I was actually dead for a time. Major wiggins." 

"What?" Cassandra puzzled over Buffy's use of slang, but she just waved away the younger girl's question. 

"You don't have to worry." Buffy reassured Cassandra. "My death was prophesised. You should be OK. We'll get you through the battle."

"You and Angel?" Cassandra asked nervously.

"Yeah," Buffy answered. "He's a pretty useful guy to have around in a fight."

"You two are an item, right?" 

Buffy nodded. "You can't choose who you fall in love with." She touched the other slayer's shoulder. "Remember that - it'll save you a lot of heartache in the long run."

Angel strolled over. "Ready?" 

Buffy kissed him briefly on the lips then nodded. Cassandra also gave her assent and they headed towards the cave mouth and their confrontation with the Master.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Angel stumbled out of the cave. The battle had been long and brutal. He had recognised the new Master, a particularly evil and twisted old vampire Angel had once encountered in Rome. The Master had also known him and had invited Angelus to join his side. Angel had instead made his intentions to do exactly the opposite very clear by slaying several of the Masters minions. After this the fight had begun in earnest. Cassandra had protected Giles whilst the former watcher performed his spell to prevent the ritual to open the Hellmouth being completed. Angel had been impressed by the strength and skill of the young slayer. She was a worthy replacement for Buffy, he had concluded. With the correct guidance Cassandra had the potential to become very successful at her calling.

With the Hellmouth being taken care of Angel and Buffy had turned their attentions to the Master. Angel had dealt with the many vampires there to protect their leader, whilst Buffy had fought the Master herself. Angel had sensed this was Buffy's fight. Even though she had defeated the previous Master who had been responsible for drowning her Angel knew that the experience of dying still bothered her. He hoped that by killing the new Master she could finally lay those old, painful memories to rest. She had been successful in her fight and the Master was soon dust. However, some of his minions still survived and their attacks upon the warriors were becoming increasingly brutal and desperate. Angel, distracted by staking a vampire that was about to sink its fangs into Cassandra, received a sword wound to his chest. Seconds away from being decapitated by a vampire's sword, he was instead saved by Xander firing a crossbow bolt into the offending vampire's heart. Xander had then come over and helped Angel up, ushering him out of the cave and to safety.

A couple of minutes later the rest of the gang followed out into the night air. Buffy rushed over and fell into his arms, each of them needing reassurance that the other was all right. After checking Angel's wound wasn't too serious Buffy turned to Cassandra and hugged the younger girl, congratulating her on the way she handled herself in the fight. Even Cordelia and Xander embraced, glad they had both come through the battle safely. Before they set off on the journey back to Giles' Angel caught Xander's attention.

"I wanted to thank you for saving my life back there." He told the younger man.

Xander looked embarrassed. "Hey, man, no problem."

"Yeah well, thanks all the same. You were pretty handy with that crossbow." 

"Lots of practice, you know." Xander grinned.

The two men shook hands. Angel was pleased. He still had a long way to go with Xander before they could call themselves friends, but at least relations between them were now civil. Xander was a good man; he just had a tendency to wear his heart on his sleeve. He had continued to be an excellent friend to Buffy, even though it was painfully clear that he wanted so much more from her, and Angel respected that. He also respected Xander and new deep down that the boy respected him in return. They would never be best buddies, but as long as they could be alone in a room together without World War Three breaking out then that was good enough for Angel. He nodded to Xander and left to join Buffy in the car. 

Angel noticed with some trepidation that Cordelia was sitting in the driving seat of his classic convertible. He was about to object when he considered the alternatives. He was in too much pain from his injury to drive safely and Buffy, even though she had finally got her license three years ago, had never really mastered the art of driving. He reluctantly handed over the keys to a thrilled Cordelia and, exhausted, climbed in the backseat next to Buffy. The two lovers leant against one another, sharing their unspoken relief that the night was finally over.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Xander awoke to find himself on Giles' hard living room floor. _You'd think the guy could have least splashed out for carpeting_, he thought sleepily. He felt a soft stirring at his side and turned his head to see Natasha sleeping peacefully next to him. He remembered his vow never to wake a single morning without her and silently renewed it. He slipped out from underneath the blanket that was covering them both, taking extra care not to disturb his fiancée. He stretched then surveyed the rest of the room.

They had arrived back at Giles' just before sunrise to find Natasha, John and Giles' wife Marie waiting nervously for their return. Once the tale of the battle had been recounted and it was determined that all the fighters got through it safely, everyone had simply crashed on Giles' floor, too tired to bother going anywhere else to sleep. Cassandra was asleep on the sofa and Buffy and Angel were cocooned together in the opposite corner of the room. Cordelia and John had managed to lay claim to Giles' spare room and Xander was still wondering how that had happened. After all it was him and Natasha that were supposed to be getting married the next day.

His mind ticked over slowly. His thought processes were always laboured in the mornings. _The next day_, he mused. If yesterday they were getting married tomorrow then tomorrow was now today and – 

"Arrghhhhh!!" Xander let out a panicked cry.

Angel was first to react, then Buffy, their heightened reflexes dragging them immediately out of sleep.

"What's wrong?" Buffy asked anxiously.

"Honey?" Natasha's voice called out drowsily.

"I hate to worry you all but it's eleven o' clock in the morning." Xander announced.

"So?" Angel asked.

"So, Natasha and I are supposed to be getting married in three hours time!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It had been a close call but they had made it. After Xander's announcement the whole household had erupted in panic, with the notable exception of Angel who wasn't going to the wedding and who couldn't panic even if he tried. Even Cassandra was rushing around. She had been granted an honorary invitation to the ceremony and had to hurry home to find something to wear. Natasha left first. She had already missed her appointment at the hairdressers, so Cordelia went with her to sort out her hair and make-up. Buffy, once breakfasted, joined them. The men were less bothered by the lateness of the hour. All except Xander who kept having intermittent panic attacks. John went with him to pick up the tuxedo he had hired for the day and by half past one in the afternoon a smartly dressed and considerably calmer Xander had arrived at the park where the wedding was to be held. 

It was a beautiful occasion. Natasha looked stunning in her elegant, ivory silk gown. She had declined to wear the traditional veil, preferring simply to place a few flowers in her hair. The couple's twin sons also took part in the ceremony. They were dressed identically in little tuxes of their own and toddled up the aisle after their mother, escorted by their grandparents. Natasha and Xander had written their own vows, which they read out to one another. As they spoke of the love they shared that would never die Buffy felt tears come to her eyes. She was so proud of Xander for the success he had made of his life and so glad he had found Natasha to share it with. She looked over at Cordelia and noticed the other woman was crying too. Buffy clasped hold of Cordy's hand and took a moment to wonder how amazing it was that even in all the evil and violence of the world love could still blossom. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Buffy stood nursing a glass of champagne by the bar at the reception. The sun had just set, so Angel would be arriving soon, but for now she missed his presence keenly. Natasha and Xander's affirmation of love that afternoon had made her think of her own relationship with Angel. She believed that they were truly soul mates and when they were apart she felt as though a piece of her was missing. She looked around the room. The band was playing and all the couples had taken the floor for a slow dance. She watched Xander and Natasha swaying in each other's arms. Natasha had her head on his shoulder and Xander was whispering into her ear. She looked up into his eyes and laughed softly. They kissed.

Buffy smiled to herself. The happiness that radiated from the couple was catching. She sipped at her champagne and silently declared her return to Sunnydale a resounding success. Admittedly, she could have done without the unscheduled detour to avert the apocalypse, but what did you expect from the only town in the northern hemisphere that boasted its own Hellmouth? At least she had gotten the chance to get to know the new slayer, and from what she had seen of Cassandra Buffy really liked her. The young girl had spirit and determination. She would make a great success of herself. The death of her watcher had been a setback, clearly, but Buffy had suggested that Cassandra ask Giles to take over the role. She sensed that since she had moved to LA Giles had been missing her company and the role he played in her slaying. He would jump at the chance to help Cassandra and as far as Buffy was concerned there was no better person the new slayer could find to do the job.

Buffy sighed. _It'll be nice to go home tomorrow_, she thought. Then she wondered when she had started thinking of LA as home. For so many years Sunnydale had been where she felt she belonged, where she was needed. Maybe that was the difference, she decided. Now she knew that she wasn't needed in Sunnydale, that the town would be safe in the capable hands of Cassandra, she could finally let go of the place. Tomorrow she would leave and she wouldn't look back.

She felt strong arms sneak around her waist from behind. _Angel_. He had managed to creep up on her again. She twisted round in his embrace and caught his lips in a long slow kiss. 

"How did it go?" He asked when they had broken off the kiss.

"Great." Buffy replied softly. "It was really beautiful."

"They look happy." Angel motioned his head towards the couple still on the dance floor.

"They are." Buffy leant her head against Angel's chest and closed her eyes, thinking for a moment. Then she looked up at him and planted a crooked half smile on her face. "Maybe we should get married." She suggested in a tone light enough to pass of as a joke, should Angel hate the idea.

He leant down and kissed her lightly on the lips. "It would be nice." He told her and Buffy's heart leapt. "But, we can't exactly legally get married, because I don't think they issue marriage licenses to people who've been dead over 200 years."

"Oh." Buffy had forgotten about this technicality. 

Angel traced his finger along her jaw line. "Don't be disappointed." He smiled shyly. "In my heart and my mind you're as much my wife as you could ever be if we had a thousand pieces of paper declaring it."

Tears began to prick at Buffy's eyes for the second time that day. She held Angel's gaze and smiled. "And I suppose we have the matching rings already." She took Angel's hand in hers and brought it to her lips, kissing the Claddagh he wore there, in the same way she had done the night she first discovered the significance of the ring. 

"I love you." She whispered.

"Do you really?" Angel asked her with a smile.

"I do."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The end of the evening neared and Xander and Natasha were preparing to leave for their Honeymoon. A week in New York, with Natasha's parents looking after the kids. The couple were just bidding goodbye to their guests. Cordelia's eye caught Xander's across the room. He walked over to her and clasped her hands in his, before drawing her into a hug. When they broke apart Cordelia realised she was crying. She wiped the tears away, embarrassed. 

"You OK?" Xander asked.

"Fine. I always cry at weddings." She made a joke of it, indicating Xander should drop the subject. "Congratulations." She smiled. "Natasha's wonderful. You'll be very happy together."

"You really like her?" Xander sounded anxious. Even after all these years Cordelia's opinion still mattered to him. 

"Yes." Cordy said firmly. "She's funny, warm, intelligent and she loves you a lot. I can't think why though."

"It's 'cause I'm irresistible that's why."

Cordelia just laughed. 

"John's a great guy too." Xander offered.

"I know." There followed a silence between them.

"I missed you." Xander told her quietly.

"I missed you too." Cordelia admitted. "Don't let's lose touch again."

"It's a promise." He squeezed her hand. 

"You know I still have much better fashion sense than her." She told him as he walked away. He grinned back.

Cordy leant against the wall. However happy she was with John - and she was, really, she reminded herself - Xander would always hold a special place in her heart. He had been her first proper love (_Well, the first guy I didn't just date because he was cute and his father owned a Ferrari_, she amended) and first loves never died, right? You just had to look at how nuts Buffy was over Angel to see that. 

She watched Angel and Buffy walk over to Xander to say their congratulations and goodbyes. Buffy hugged Xander and kissed him warmly on the cheek. Angel shook hands with him. _Those two seem to be getting on much better_, she thought. Her vision blurred and she closed her eyes on the scene. _Too much champagne_, she decided. She was starting to get a headache from it already. It was the bubbles; they went straight to her head. She blinked a couple of times and her vision cleared, but everything seemed so far away. And the sound had become distorted, slower somehow – voices deepened and merged together and the band played out of tune.

She stumbled forwards, suddenly recognising the symptoms preceding one of her visions. Then the vision itself was upon her. Pain flashed light lightning through her head then spread down her body to her stomach. Images danced before her eyes. Blood. A familiar face twisted in agony. She heard screams and was unsure as to whether they belonged to the vision or were her own. She vaguely registered a hand gripping her elbow in support, then the vision passed and she collapsed into the nearest pair of open arms.

When the pain had receded enough to allow her to open her eyes she looked up into the concerned face of Angel. Her lips struggled to form the words. "F-Faith." She managed to gasp out. "She's…in…trouble. The baby." Some of the haze of pain cleared from her mind and she could think more clearly. "We have to get back to LA!"

THE END – To be continued…

A/N ~ Yeah, I know I'm a cruel, sadistic bitch to leave it there, but what can I say? I'm evil. I do want to reform, though, so I'll try and get the next part to you as soon as possible. Forgive me? JAs always any comments or suggestions are gratefully received. I appreciate all your reviews and try to listen to what you say in them. And if you're really enthusiastic you can email me at [Laura@dmitchell92.fsnet.co.uk][1] and that way I'll try to get back to you. Thanks for reading!

   [1]: mailto:Laura@dmitchell92.fsnet.co.uk



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